Greek Revival was a late style of the Neoclassical architecture which became fashionable in Europe from ca. 1800 onward. A fashion for rather straightforward imitations of the Greek temples spread across Europe after the Elgin Marbles had been brought from Greece and the Parthenon had come to be regarded as the pinnacle of architectural perfection. Major examples of the Greek Revival architecture in Europe include the Brandenburg Gate and Altes Museum in Berlin, the Glyptothek in Munich, the Old Bourse in Saint Petersburg, and the British Museum in London.

Greek Revival is considered the first independent National style of the United States. In the wake of European interest in Greek art, America shifted from Roman forms towards the Greek style in the 1820s. This was caused by many factors: The War of 1812 caused Americans to feel contempt towards anything British, including architecture. The Roman, or Federal style, was no longer favored. Greece was now looked at the true home of Democracy, and the Mother of Rome. Also, Greece had begun her war of independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821, invoking much sympathy from the newly independent United States.

Greek revival architects in the United States

• Asher Benjamin
• Alexander Jackson Davis
• Benjamin Latrobe
• Alexander Parris
• Gideon Shryock
• William Strickland
• Ithiel Town
• Thomas U. Walter
• Thomas Jefferson

See also

• Neo-Grec
• Egyptian Revival
• Cyrus Gates Farmstead

Architectural styles | House styles | Revival architectural styles

Greek Revival